The city of Reims played a prominent ceremonial role in French monarchical history. It lies towards the east of Paris and is the home of three World Heritage Sites.
One of these is the Notre-Dame de Reims Cathedral. This is a masterpiece of Gothic art and one of the great French cathedrals of the 13th century. It was here that Saint Rémi, Bishop of Reims, baptised Clovis King of the Franks in a ceremony momentous to Frankish and European history. The Cathedral then became the seat of the coronation of the kings of France.
The current Cathedral building was reconstructed following a fire and so dates from the 13th century. The perfection of its architecture and sculptural design were so admired that later edifices were influenced by it, particularly in Germany.
The Champagne-Ardenne region, where Reims is located, possesses an extremely rich heritage of ancient glass production. Though the cathedral has lost a portion of its stained glass, it still has some remaining windows that have been restored to their original splendour. Especially important are the western rose window and the high choir windows with their iconographic narrative.
The exterior is laden with statues including Clovis, bishops of Reims and a figure of Christ. There is an elegant lead-covered timber bell tower which rises above the choir. Inside, as well as the magnificent nave and gallery beneath the rose window, you can see the Gothic-cased organ in the north transept. It is certainly worth paying this UNESCO World Heritage Site a visit if you are in the area.
Discover for yourself the array of fantastic historic sites in this region and find out how you can stay nearby by following the link below.
